Buddha and Jesus: Could Solomon Be the Missing Link? (56 page)
Read Buddha and Jesus: Could Solomon Be the Missing Link? Online
Authors: R. E. Sherman
Right Intention
The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the willful contrariness and crookedness of the treacherous shall destroy them.
6
The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.
7
The desire of the [consistently] righteous brings only good, but the expectation of the wicked brings wrath.
8
The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
9
A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.
10
Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.
11
The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but the words of the pure are pleasant.
12
The wicked man craves evil; his neighbor gets no mercy from him.
13
Fervent lips with a wicked heart are like earthenware covered with silver dross.
14
The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, the wicked does not understand such concern.
15
Right Speech
Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
16
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.
17
The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.
18
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.
19
Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.
20
The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.
21
An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous will escape from trouble.
22
Right Action
Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the Lord detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence.
23
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.
24
The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are his children after him.
25
To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
26
The violence of the wicked will destroy them, because they refuse to do justice.
27
The sluggard’s craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work. All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.
28
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.
31
Right Mindfulness
The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, the heart of the wicked is worth little.
32
The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only knows what is perverse.
33
The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, but the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
34
The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.
35
The mind of the [uncompromisingly] righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
36
A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an upright man gives thought to his ways.
37
Solomon’s father, David, wrote this:
I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.”
38
Right Concentration
The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him.
39
In psalms written around the time of Solomon, we read the following verses:
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the
wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he
meditates
day and night.
40
Behold, I long for Your precepts; in Your righteousness give me renewed life.
41
May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous.
42
As the above compilation shows, for six of the eight steps there were several verses from Solomon’s Proverbs or the Psalms that
were evident precursors of each step. There were only two verses for the step of Right Livelihood, but then very few of Buddha’s own proverbs relate to this step. Only one proverb of Solomon’s dealt with Right Effort, yet Buddha devoted many of his proverbs to this step, noting four different types of Right Effort, as detailed in the second half of
Chapter Six
.
For a more detailed analysis of these parallels, see
Chapters Four
through
Eight
.
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